involved with school clubs and pretty much stayed to myself.
--Summer-– I got the Cochlear Implant.
10th Grade – I had to relearn sounds all over again and get used to
life with the Cochlear Implant - 8 hour batteries, no leaning up
against the fridge or the car, dealing with hearing my dogs licking
--
Hospital.
11th Grade - I got the new Harmony Cochlear Implant. I was hearing
great and loved being able to hear and talk to my friends. I made
--
Me with some friends after Graduation
Now, as you can probably tell, before I got the Implant my life was
pretty boring and I was a bit more kept to myself because I wasn’t
--
couldn’t hear or understand what everyone was saying.
But once I got the implant, my life began to change. I was hearing so
much better, I started becoming more confident in myself, became more
--
--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--
You know, recently someone messaged me about the implant and how he
couldn't decide on whether to get the implant now or wait another 5 or
10 years until they come out with something even better.
--
with newer upgrades BUT they are keeping the internal piece the same so
people can upgrade their implants for the newer style. Like with me, I
was implanted the Auria. But becuase they invented the new processor
(keeping the internal piece the same) I was able to upgrade to the new
--
intelligence/technology."
And now, apparently she is going to have her implant removed because of
this... : /
--
before. He said he could understand a little bit better then when he
had two hearing aids so he continued to work with the implant to help
make it better.
--
- the president's debate on the TV without closed captians
He's still learning to cope with the implant and trying to figure out
which hook he likes best, which programs to use, how to wear his hats
with the implant, how to keep the implant on with the oxygen tube and
glasses, etc. He's been having difficulty with keeping the implant on
with the tubing for his oxygen and glasses becuase they all hook on to
--
about his experiences and everything that he's going through. And of
course, everyone is just AMAZED with the Cochlear Implant and wishes
they could get one! :)
Here are some pictures of him and the implant...
He's been to 2 mappings so far and is continueing to progress really
--
The CI runs in the family...
My Grandpa got the Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implant last Wednesday!
He got the new Harmony and we are all waiting anxiously for the turn on
--
As you can tell from the pictures, we were ALL very EXCITED about him
getting the implant! Before, he couldn't hear anything and it was
getting very difficult when we tried to talk to him. So we're hoping
--
all talk to my grandpa normal again! :)
Congratulations Papa, you finally got the implant!! :)
Now we have three people in the family that has the implant (me, my
brother and my grandpa)... and hoepfully my dad will be getting one
--
Can you hear me now?!
It always cracks me up whenever I take off my implant to show my
hearing friends and they try to put it on to see if they can hear from
--
"headphone set" and they try to stick it in their ear to try to hear
from it!!! But then I show them how it connects to my implant and you
can see a light bulb pop up above their head!! :P
I love doing that to my friends.... it cracks me up! :)
Only AWESOME people get to hear out of the Cochlear Implants!! hehe :D
Posted by Samantha Brilling 1 comment:
--
My brother is also doing good - he's enjoying his sophomore year. His
implant is doing really good too - he had a rough start from the new
implant but now he's understanding really well and calls me on the
phone like all the time! :) So that definitly shows he's improving!!
--
2005, my hearing started to deteriorate and I went through major
urgery to get a Cochlear Implant. The cochlear implant is like a more
“high-tech implantable hearing aid” which helps me to hear even better.
But along with getting the new cochlear implant, I had to relearn
ounds all over again while I was still going to high school, making
--
But yeah.... I don't know what else to say at this point. Jonathan and
I are both doing great in school, clubs, and with our implants. This
year, Jonathan and I are also actually officers for Key Club which is
--
taught me to hear and speak.
The next one is the homepage for Advanced Bionics, the implant company
that I have (and ABSOLUTLY LOVE!).
And the others are friends with Cochlear Implants and AVC graduates
from the center I graduated from. They vary in ages, so you get a wide
variety of points of views and lifestyles with the Cochlear Implants.
But they're all really good, so if you're interested...check them out
--
hearing, and what-not. And of course my mom told him my awesome story
with the implant and how I was born deaf and how I can now hear and
peak...and of course he was just blown away and couldn't believe that
--
We LOVE our Direct Connect!
Hey - Just thought you might enjoy a picture of the implant with the
direct connet. We went hiking this weekend in North Carolina and so my
--
I won't go anywhere without it!! haha : )
Here is a picture of my brother with his implant and the direct connect
attacted to it.
--
headphone set for the Advanced Bionics users. Its the black cord that
hangs down from the front of the implant that connects to the ipod or
to whatever you're listening to (cell phone, ipod, computer, mp3
player, etc.)...
And just another thing to notice...my brother got his implant about a
month and a half ago and his hair and skin is already back to normal! I
--
charging at night, making sure I had my batteries with me and what-not.
But now, I just use the one on my implant and I’m good for the WHOLE
DAY! I still carry one battery with me as an emergency backup if I need
--
been a rough few months for my younger brother, Jonathan (16). At the
end of May, his C1 internal implant (after 9 ½ years of having it)
failed. So after the “confirmation” of the device failure he went into
--
people. Its been about 2 months and he’s now hearing fine! I think
because he had the implant for the last 9 ½ years in the same ear, the
process of understanding with the new one was quicker and easier for
--
But after this rough and emotional summer, he’s now really liking the
implant and seems to be hearing great!
He wears the new color caps, loves the direct-connect to listen to his
--
So now, that my brother and I both have the new harmony we have fun
with sharing the new color caps and jazzing up our implants!
Now, we're both stylish AB Harmony Implant users!! haha : )
Here is a picture of me and Jonathan swing dancing at a local concert a
--
the military. Now, you're probably confused and wondering why he went
off to the military academy when he JUST got the implant... well he
actually signed up before the imlant failed and nothing was going to
top him from going (even the implant failure). And much to our
urprise, the teachers and sargents were all really cool with him about
the implant and really worked with him! He took a whole years-worth of
Algebra II in 5 weeks ( and PASSED) and had a great time playing sports
--
because I felt like I was loosing most of what people are saying. So we
changed my settings and put my implant in the cleaner (wow-that cleaner
thing really makes a difference! lol). So right now my settings are set
--
I hate changing the programs throughout the day because for some reason
it takes so long for the implant to switch over. And by the time I
witch over, I’ve already missed a lot. But I think that that’s
--
also I’m taking Swing Dance Lessons! My junior year has definitely been
the best so far, and it’s all because of my implant! My freshman year
ucked because I had hearing aids (Superos by Phonak), and missed A
LOT. Then my sophomore year, I was just getting the implant and I was
trying to get used to it. And now, it’s the end of my junior year and
--
I’m also taking Swing Dance Lessons which is A LOT of fun! My brother
is actually my swing dance partner (he also has the implant)! We’re not
as good as the dancers on Dancing with the Stars (…not yet at least!
--
all the jazz and swing dance music! ; )
So yeah, life is going good…I love my implant! I’m definitely enjoying
my life a lot more!! I’m making better grades, hearing more things,
--
good questions and I figured they might be helpful to you....so enjoy!
1. What age were you when you received the Implant?
I got the implant in april of 2005 when I was just turning 16 years
old.
2. Has Getting the implant limited what you can do?
Yes, there are some activites that I have to avoid now becuase I have
the implant, for example different things with magnetic fiels such as
ome rollar coasters, MRI's, and plastic slides.
3. How does the Implant help you with your daily life?
The implant helps me to hear no matter where I am, such as the
cafeteria, outside, at home, or even on the phone. I wasn't functioning
good with two hearing aids, so thats why I got the implant. And now I
can hear alot more and its helped me to understand people, music and
--
4. Is it noticeable to other people when you first meet them?
No, becuase the cochlear implant is a small device that sits behind my
ear. And being that I have longer hair, its hard to see it because its
being hid. Plus, people don't "look" for the implant becuase they don't
realize that I'm deaf when they meet me because my speech quality is so
--
to where I don't lip read or use sign language.
5. How has the implant affected your life?
Yes, dramtically. With it my grades have gone up becuase I can hear
--
batteries go dead, I can not hear a thing and I'm in a silent world.
6. If you had not gotten the implant how would your life be different?
If I had not gotten the implant, I would not have been involved with
the clubs, volunteering, and plus I probably wouldn't be at the public
chool that I am now. I also wouldn't have been able to do some things
uch as going to concerts, movies, and plays. Without the implant, I
would have very few friends, I wouldn't be as socialble and I wouldn't
--
But yeah, it was a short survey but it had some interesting points
about the implant...
December 6, 2006
--
I have my speech which will last a lifetime (thanks to AVC) and my new
high-tech Cochlear Implant which will also last me forever!! hehe
So now, I am a very bright and shiny chandelier!!!! : )
--
never thought I'd need it for something else.
So for all of you who have the implant....get the Direct Connect!!! You
never know when you'll need it!!!
--
Update
Well things are going good with me and my Implant. I'm a Junior in High
School and school is going great! I'm aceing all of my classes, which
--
That was pretty interesting....apparently we were really good!! : )
They asked us questions about how we deal with the implant at school,
the differences between the Hearing Aid and the Implant, Our favorite
and least favorite things about the implant, etc. so I guess that went
well. I was glad that we were there to help answer questions!
--
telling me everything I've got to do, etc. And we come in front of the
OR room where Dr. Todd does his implant surgerys. And June was getting
ready to tell me this whole "speel" about what the cochelar implant is
and what its for. And immediatly I bursted out "I GOT ONE!!". hahaha, I
--
65 Quiet 100%
So now, I've been wearing only my implant a lot more. I've been more
comfortable with it! I mean its still weird not getting any sounds out
--
Questions and Answers...
I’ve had some questions about the last post on my hair and the implant,
Question: Do you wear your implant on top of your hair or underneath
it??
--
Answer: On me…no, if anything they notice the hearing aid more than the
implant! I think a lot of people think that your implant is probably
ome new technology for listening to music or one of those “blue tooth”
--
omebody asks Jonathan what he’s listening to…because they see the
implant and assume that its like an MP3 player or something. But then
that’s when we tell them what it is and what its for and they think its
--
Well today was the first day I wore my hair up to school since I got
the implant!! I never did, becuase I was too afraid of what people
would say. And plus, I wasn't sure what was going to happen for when my
battery dies...beacuse when it dies, I take the implant off and change
the battery. But if my hair is up...then I was afraid I was going to
--
But yeah...Its a big differnce between the hearing aid and the cochlear
implant!! And my golly...I gotta say, the implant is ALOT nicer looking
than the hearing aid and plus the fact...you can color match!!!!! hehe
Hearing Aid (pic. 1) AB Cochlear Implant (pic. 2)
April 14, 2006
Oh, and I almost forgot....exactly one year ago (last April) I was
dreaming about getting the implant....and look where I am now!! My
Surgery was April 13th and I was turned on May 17th. It has been
--
huh??
Well lets see, alots been going on...but first things first, my implant
is doing great! I can hear everything with it and it sounds normal! And
I absolutly love having the implant...and I gotta say that the main
think that I like about it is the Direct Connect! I love listening to
--
Every now and then I like to experiment with my hearing aid and
Cochlear Implant by listening with my hearing aid only for a few
minutes, then I switch to my cochlear implant for a few minutes and
then I switch to both. And you know sometimes I get the wierdest
results. Sometimes I can hear better with just the implant and
ometimes I can hear better with both. But the hearing aid never win.
Its either both or just the implant.
But anyways, I went to the movies the other day and I was experimenting
--
it really makes a difference. But only someone brave enough would get
one. I don't think I would ever want to get another implant....Don't
get me wrong, because I love my implant but I think I'm too attached to
my hearing aid to let it go. You know? And then you know another great
--
little bit of what the teacher is saying while I'm changing the battery
on my implant. So the hearing aid is like my backup.
And since I'm on this topic.....I have never had someone ask me what
that thing was on my ear! People have always said something about my
hearing aid but not my implant. I thought people would be asking what
that was because its bigger and filled with colors. haha. But that's
--
o'clock, we moved it to the 12 o'clock spot.
So now I've been wearing just my implant as much as I can. Yesterday I
watched a whole movie with just my implant....That may not sound like a
lot but for me it is. And whats shocking is that I actually got
everything they said! But you know, its really weird wearing just an
implant because its like you don't get any sound from the other side.
All the sound comes in my right side, so I keep feeling like I forgot
--
changed the extra magnet to a "half strength" which helps hold my
implant on better. Before I had to hold my magnet on with another
magnet on the outside. Which got really annoying because it magnetized
--
after getting this new magnet, I haven't had a headache and it holds my
implant on ALOT better! So I'm really excited about not having to have
the outside magnet on. YAY!!
--
therapist and my mom was amazed and shocked at how well I was doing
with just the implant. And I was too! I was soo nervous about therapy
that I was actually dreading it. I haven't been going just with my
implant so I wasn't sure how I was going to do. But I actually did
well!
--
time, my mom and I would do a little bit. So I'm really excited about
how things are going with me and the implant. I've been listening to my
music too, so hopefully my goal will be reached before
--
know what the promise is?!?!
Well I promise that I will work with my implant by praticing on
listening to music, and hearing people without my hearing aid. And if
--
I know it may sound weird but I really want to do it, beacuse if I get
really good at listening to music with just my implant, I can use the
"wireless" headphone set for my implant so I'll look like everyone
else. I won't have to deal with those big and bulky headphones. Cool
--
discrimination got worse in 2005, which is when I got my
Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implant. Now I wear the CI on my right
ear and a hearing aid on my left. I'm a student at North Georgia
--
"I enjoy mentoring people who are going through the same situations
that I went through in deciding to get the implant, going through the
urgery, and learning how to hear all over again or even for the first
time. I got my CI at the end of my freshman year in High School so I
can remember what it was like before I got the implant and how my life
has changed ever since.
--
brother Jonathan and my Grandpa Sam, both of whom have the CI as well.
My brother was implanted at age 5 and my grandpa was implanted at age
85."
-Click Picture to learn more!-
With my Cochlear Implant, I can:
"Be a normal teenager/young adult and enjoy my college experience with